PROVO — BYU offensive lineman Jake Kuresa knows how it works.
Media, and fans, enjoy fawning all over the glamour players — quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs — the guys who score touchdowns, sign autographs and pose on the cover of magazines.
But Kuresa also knows that while offensive linemen, the guys who labor anonymously in the trenches, are routinely overlooked and forgotten, they're going to be one of the strengths of BYU's 2005 squad.
"A lot of people like to look at skill positions," said Kuresa, a two-year starter at right tackle. "But if you ask anyone who knows anything about football — coaches and players — it starts with a good offensive line. The people up front. Then those guys (skill position players) will ride our backs, ride the momentum that we create, to win games and put up some big numbers."
The last time BYU enjoyed this much experience, leadership and confidence on the offensive line was 2001, when the Cougars posted a 12-2 record and led the nation in scoring.
Is similar success in store for BYU this season? It's too early to know, of course, but the Cougar O-line features four returning starters — Kuresa, a junior who is an Outland Trophy candidate; junior Eddie Keele; senior left guard Brian Sanders; and senior center Lance Reynolds Jr., who is a Rimington Award candidate.
The only starting lineman who is not a returning starter is freshman Terence Brown, who was a Mr. South Carolina finalist in high school. Another freshman who was expected to make an impact was Travis Bright, but his injured foot will sideline him for the season.
Still, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who is entering his second season at BYU, is glad to have a stable of veterans.
"We've got a number of guys coming back with experience, which helps," he said. "Even though we're putting in a new offense, those guys have experience with me as their coach so they understand what my expectations are."
"We have a lot of talented guys," Reynolds said. "I think we have plenty of talent to do our job and do it well."
Reynolds came to BYU as a linebacker, but he was switched to the offensive line during the 2003 season. Now, he plays like he was born to be a center. He serves as the anchor of the O-line.
"The center position is kind of like the quarterback position," Grimes said. "You like to have a guy there who is your leader because he is going to be your leader on most plays on the field. He's the one who does most of the communicating. If you don't have a natural leader there, you can get by, but it's not the most ideal situation. It is a great situation because he has some real leadership qualities and has done a nice job as a player. It's nice to have a guy with experience at that spot. He gets everyone else straightened out."
As a group, the Cougar offensive line is much-improved over last year and possesses a better attitude, according to Kuresa.
"The difference between this year and last year is we have more intensity and we know better what to do," he said. "We're working harder and we're doing what we need to be doing. Now, we're experienced. We're smarter."
Grimes said the qualities he likes from this offensive line are "their effort, their toughness and their aggressiveness."
These guys have personality, too.
"We have the funnest out of any position on the team," Kuresa said. "We laugh the most, we joke the most, we tease each other the most. We've done that before, but the difference now is, when it's time to get serious and strap it on, we get serious right away. We flip a switch and we take care of business like coach Grimes asks us to. I think that's going to make the difference."
Sanders simply goes by the nickname "Lunch." Former offensive line coach Roger French bestowed the moniker "Lunchroom" on Sanders while Sanders was a redshirt freshman in 1999. "Coach French started calling him 'Lunchroom' for obvious reasons," Kuresa said of the 6-foot-3, 316-pound Sanders. It's been shortened to "Lunch."
"One time I saw him at (the grocery store) and I didn't want to call him 'Lunch' because weren't on the field. So I just said, 'Hey!' " Kuresa said.
BYU's O-line is a tight-knit group, and they're living large.
"We have fun, we hang out on the weekends and on days off," Brown said. "We laugh, we make fun of each other, but it's all in fun. We're all really good friends and that helps out a lot. It's good to be out on the field with them. But when we get out here, we know when it's time to turn it on. There's a time to have fun and a time to be serious. There's a time to buckle down and to go after someone. We've been working hard. We want to dominate this year. Everyone's working hard and everyone's here for the same cause — give 100 percent effort and work hard for the team."
The veterans have been more than willing to share advice and teach the younger players.
"I feel like an old man now," Kuresa said. "I've got what, 23 or 24, games under my belt. It's nothing new for me, but the approach and mentality is new. What coach (Bronco) Mendenhall demands from us is new. If I have more experience than some other guys, I'm trying to help them out. They're helping me out."
"We've got guys who have been here awhile and they know what's going on," Brown said. "They've been a great help. We're going to push this team along. I think we're going to be a strength and be leaders as an offensive line."
If the offensive line has a noticeable weakness, it's depth. Because the Cougars have so many returning starters, there are a bunch of young players with little experience, including Ray Feinga, Dallas Reynolds, Jeff Rhea, David Oswald and Scott Tidwell.
But if BYU's O-line can stay healthy, it'll help make those glamour players — quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs — look awfully good.
Healthy position
A look at the experience on BYU's starting offensive line:
Lineman Experience
Jake Kuresa (junior) Started 23 games in two years
Lance Reynolds (senior) Started 11 games in two years on O-line
Brian Sanders (senior) Started 11 games in three years
Eddie Keele (junior) Started eight games in two years
Terence Brown (freshman) First season
E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com